Charles e



(No Model.)

C. E. DOBSON.

BANJO.

No. 514,311. Patented Feb. 6, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. DOE-SON, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y.

BANJO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 514,311, dated February 6, 1894.

Application ned April 27, 189s.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES E. DoBsoN, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Banjos, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in banjos, and it has for its object to so construct the rim thereof that it will improve the tone of the instrument, and to provide a means at the same time forstrengthening the upper and lower portions of the rim of the head without adding unduly to the weight thereof.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved banjo, a portion of the rim being broken away. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the head; and Fig. 3 is an inner face view of the rim.

In carrying out the invention the rim A of the banjo,which constitutes the frame or band of the head section, is provided at its top and bottom upon its inner face with a tube, the upper tube being designated as 10 and the lower one as 11. These tubes are made of exceedingly light material, and may constitute an integral portion of the rim or may be attached thereto in any approved manner. A

skin 12 is stretched over the tcp tube and is Serial No. 472,048. (No model.)

held in place upon the rim by the usual clampn ing ring 13, and the said ring is held in place by the usual clamps 14, as shown in Fig. 1. Otherwise the banjo is of the same construction as the ordinary banjo,bnt the tubes serve to strengthen the rim and admit of its being made of very light material; furthermore the tubes add to the tone of the instrument, and the upper tube serves to protect the skin and prevent it from being chafed when under pressure from the clamps and clamping ring. Both the upper and lower tubes extend beyond the outer edges of the rim, and consequen tly the lower tube presents at the bottom of the head section a smooth and rounded surface which will not tear or injure in the least the most delicate fabric against which the head section may be held.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a banjo, a rim or band for the head section, provided at top and bottom with an interiorly located tube extending beyond the upper and lower edges of the rim or band, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a banjo, a head comprising a rim beveled on its inner side atboth edges and tubular rings resting against said bevels with their outer sides flush with the outer face of the rim and their opposite faces beyond the upper and lower edges respectively of the rim, substantially as set forth.

CHARLES E. DOBSON. Witnesses:

J. FRED ACKER, EDGAR TATE. 

